


Freedom

by puffythepig



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Tarzan (1999), The Little Mermaid (1989)
Genre: Closure, Coming Out, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Disney, Disney femslash, F/F, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Mermaids, Queer Themes, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:13:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23965189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puffythepig/pseuds/puffythepig
Summary: Ariel feels stuck in her life. She knows who she's attracted to, she knows who she is, even if people want to take it away from her. Ariel will stop at nothing to get her happy ending.
Relationships: Ariel/Jane Porter (Disney)
Kudos: 6





	Freedom

Humans were odd. Ariel knew this. Still, she had always been drawn to them—the way they walked, talked, danced, and apparently were also interested in foreign creatures, according to the woman aboard the ship she was watching. Most of the humans that she watched, the number of which has been increasing, were simple and beautiful. They fought, danced and loved, but she had never seen one doing what the brunette on board was doing now, frantically scribbling a picture of a hairy man on a tall green board with a strange white stick. An older man, who she assumed to be the woman’s father, sat and watched her intently before joining in and scribbling two words beside the drawing – “Big foot”. Unable to help herself, Ariel snorted at the strange drawing, alerting the quiet deck’s inhabitants. At this time, she assumed most of the other humans were asleep, so watching these two strangers seemed safe, until just now, as they approached her hiding spot.

Ducking her face out of reach, Ariel held her breath, Flounder sticking to her side in a similarly fearful way.

“Do you think they heard us?” Flounder whispered a bit too loudly, sending the two singular humans on board gasping and checking over the sides of the board. Quickly, Ariel ducked her head just below the water, although she was sure they could still see her if they strained their eyes.

She wanted badly to scold her finned friend, but her attention stayed stuck to the woman, who she assumed couldn’t be any older than her. “Do you need any help, ma’am?” The older man yelled down at her, and Ariel couldn’t help but laugh again as she poked her head bravely out of the water.

“Why would I need any help?” She let her tail flick out of water briefly, entertained by the way the two humans gasped again and hurried down to the little hatch she previously watched from.

“Oh, thank god, I thought you were drowning!” The old man hollered again, trying to kneel down but struggling to, holding his back.

“Is there any way we can bring you aboard?” The woman asked now, smiling down at the other with teal-tinted eyes and a pinkish smile.

A wave of worry washed over the mermaid. “Why would I come aboard? Do you want to skin me, eat me?”

Now the pale woman laughed, and a dinglehopper twisted into Ariel’s gut. “Hey, what’s so funny?”

“I’m sorry, it’s just that we would never want to do something like that. Now, do you trust me? I think I can help hoist you if I lower the net.”

Flounder pulled at Ariel’s hair, trying his best to get her attention and persuade her that going aboard was a bad idea, but Ariel ignored the gushing guppy and hoisted her torso above the board instead. “How about you just give me a hand?”

The old man extended his hand and the brown-haired woman shook her head and laughed before offering her hand, as well, which Ariel took graciously, climbing onto the board and fully revealing her tail. She watched with a tilted head as the two humans gushed to each other about her tail and the fact that mermaids were real. “You mean, you didn’t know we existed? Ariel asked innocently and both faces turned towards her.

“Of course not! Mermaids are cryptids to us. And we’re archaeologists, not poachers or pirates or anything of the sort!” The old man said nonchalantly, and when Ariel tilted her head, the other woman stood up and grabbed her magical white stick before turning to her board.

“Well, cryptids are like… magical or legendary creatures to us humans.” She wrote the word on the board and Ariel marveled at how it looked, holding her hand out. When the other handed her the piece of chalk with a tilted head, she held it closer to her and smelled it and stared at the little marks on it.

“So…they’re like humans to me.” Ariel said matter-of-factly before focusing again on her piece of chalk until an idea jumped into her head. “Hey! Do you know how to do that…that thing humans do? When they spin around to music?”

“You mean...dancing?”

“Yes, dancing! Could you dance for me?”

The two humans exchanged an amused expression before the old man started to do as he was asked, twirling around awkwardly and urging his daughter to join him. After laughed for a minute, she let her father take her arms and swing them around like a jump rope, glancing at the mermaid who marveled at them with interest.

“Oh, how I wish I had feet so I could dance with you, too!” Ariel sighed, before a sound from below the deck sounded.

“What are you two doing awake? Go to sleep!” A man’s voice belted from underneath her, and Ariel pouted a little. When the sound of footsteps walking upstairs was heard, she looked to the humans with worry.

“I guess that’s my cue to leave. I think my friend is worrying about me, anyways.” The humans nodded and lifted up the girl together, bringing her back to the hatch she came in from.

“Slipping back into the water, Ariel couldn’t help but find it colder than before as she waved her goodbye. Just as she was about to bound beneath the waves, the woman’s voice called out.

“Wait!” She paused hesitantly before swallowing and continuing. “I don’t even know your name.”

Ariel’s lips grew into a smile as she reached her hand onto the board and on top of the other woman’s gloved hand. “I’m Ariel.”

The woman grinned softly at the touch. “Jane.”

Behind her, the older man snorted. “And I’m Archimedes Porter, but you can call me the Professor! Everyone does.”

Ariel nodded and waved again. “Well, I’ll be back, the Professor,” she paused and bit her lip as she smiled at the other girl, “and Jane.” With a swift flip of her tail, Ariel was gone and back home, ignoring the griping from Sebastian and the floundering from Flounder.

“I think she’s the one.” Ariel said suddenly, sticking a bright yellow sea flower in her hair and twirling around in the water, making little heart shaped bubbles with her mouth.

“Why do you always say that about humans you see, Ariel? I don’t understand.” Flounder murmured, swimming in a circle around his merfriend. “There are so many better options under the sea, like Sebastian told you the other day…”

“Yeah, well… maybe I only like humans.” Ariel pulled the flower out of her hair briefly, imagining it in the hair of Jane.

Sebastian slowly swam to the mermaid, resting on her shoulder. “Ariel, you know that mermaids and humans can’t be together. It isn’t…normal.”

The redhead stared into her shared bedroom mirror, a sigh echoing in the back of her voice. “I know it’s not… usual, Sebastian. But it doesn’t change anything. I don’t like other merpeople, or even sharks or dolphins or anything of the sort. I just like humans, and that’s it!”

“Ariel, don’t say that! There are so many fish in the sea, whose to say you just haven’t found the right one for you?” Flounder asked softly, and Ariel felt her lips quiver nervously.

“You two just don’t get it…I’ve tried to like other sea creatures. I just can’t.”

Shaking his little crab head, Sebastian poked at her cheek with his claw to bring her attention to him. “Darling you’re only eighteen, you will find someone eventually for you, a nice mermaid… Ariel, I know you loved that human prince from two years ago, but you couldn’t save him. It’s time you let him go.”

Tears filled the woman’s eyes as she pushed Sebastian and Flounder both away from her in a fury. “Don’t you understand? It’s more than that! I’ve _always_ liked humans! _Only humans!_ Ever since I was a little girl I’ve known! Why can’t anyone just accept that?”

“Because Ariel, it’s not normal! It’s not safe! Do you think this is what your mother would have wanted?” Sebastian yelled at the mermaid, his temper finally bubbling over like an underwater volcano. “Listen to me, Ariel! What if your father knew the truth?”

“What if I knew _what_?” Triton asked aloud, the merwoman finally turning around and noticing her father and sisters, all staring at her with mixed feelings of concern, anger and fear.

“It’s nothing, Daddy.” Ariel said softly, wiping at her snotty nose.

“It isn’t nothing!” Sebastian swam over to the king, his little arms crossed. “Your highness, Princess Ariel was once again visiting the humans, and she is claiming she is only attracted to them now!”

Her chest heaving up and down in anticipation of her father’s reaction, Ariel held her hands to her chest and hoped it wouldn’t explode.

“Ariel, is this true?”

The mermaid lowered her eyes and shrugged.

“Answer me, young lady.” 

Ariel tried her best to ignore the comments from her sisters about how she “was stuck in a phase” and “ruining their family name” and every other insult she had processed through her head before. “It is, Daddy.”

The sisters erupted into more insults as the father stayed silent until he finally shushed them. “Young lady, I’m very disappointed in you.” The rock in her chest dropped to her stomach, and Ariel refused to look at her father.

“I’m sorry, Daddy.” Without another word, she swam as quickly as she could around her barrier of sisters and her father, ignoring the calls they made after her and finding a place to hide until they all were out of sight. Once all of the mermaids and Sebastian was out of sight, Ariel swam to the one place she knew she would find an answer.

In the King’s bedroom, Ariel stared at the trident with wide eyes. She had never been allowed to touch it herself, but she wasn’t inexperienced with magic anymore, as she was two years ago when she couldn’t save the prince. Out of guilt, she taught herself what she could from Ursula’s abandoned books she found deep within the palace, and now she finally knew of a spell that could be strong enough to change her fin for legs and her gills for lungs, even though she still wasn’t sure if her spell would be strong enough. She had her own staff that she kept hidden in a sunken ship, but she knew Sebastian would lead her father there to look for her. She couldn’t risk going there, even for a little bit.

It had to be tonight she would become human, she decided. Just as her hand first touched the trident, she heard bubbles swivel around behind her. When she turned, she saw only Flounder, who stared at her with heartbroken eyes.

“Ariel… what are you doing with the trident?”

The redhead slowly swam over and took her small friend into her arms and hugged him tightly. “I’m sorry, Flounder, but I have to go. I’ll never be able to be happy here now that they know the truth, that I never gave up on loving humans...I know you don’t understand, but…you have to let me leave.”

The yellow fish gave a solemn hum and rubbed his face against hers softly as she hugged him tightly. The sound of mermaids swimming wildly in the halls filled her ears and she stared at him with frightened eyes. “I have to leave now, Flounder. I love you.”

His eyes tightened and he looked at the trident. “Turn me into a shark, for just a minute. I’ll keep them away from you until you can get up to the surface.” Ariel nodded and kissed her friend’s cheek softly before reaching for the trident and grabbing it with burning fingers. She focused her energy on her fishy friend as she watched behind him, where the guards and her family were standing in the distant doorway. With a strike, Flounder was changed into a large octopus instead of a shark, and Ariel’s stomach twisted dangerously.

“What are you doing, Ariel? Get away from the trident right now! You could get yourself killed!” Triton hollered at his daughter, and she felt a genuine fear glide up and down her body. It was true, she could be killed. She had already turned Flounder into the wrong animal, what if she failed and didn’t give herself proper lungs and died on the surface after staying for too long? What if she turned herself into a guppy that they would put in a bottle and never let see the light of day again, after what she had done? Gripping the trident tighter, Ariel pointed it at herself and closed her eyes, feeling as a strike ran through her own body and left it trembling for air. Holding tightly to Flounder, Ariel kept her eyes shut as her friend charged past the group and up to the surface water, where they swiftly spotted the ship and Flounder threw her aboard with a final kiss on the forehead from the mermaid, as he hurried back under the waves.

Ariel took in a deep breath a stared around at the dark ship, hoping no evil human had heard her; after all, the only two she knew on the ship was the Professor and Jane. “Hello?” She called out softly, feeling her voice tremble softly in her throat. “Is anyone there?”

“Who is it?” She heard Jane’s voice call out from the other side of the ship and watched as a strange light came to life and approached her in Jane’s hand. When she stopped right in front of the naked mermaid, Jane’s mouth fell open for a brief moment before she snapped it shut. “Ariel, how are you…?”

“It’s um… a long story. More importantly, Miss Porter, I have a very urgent question for you.” She gave Jane a minute to process it and continued. “Can you teach me to be human?”

Jane helped the stumbling girl to her feet, catching her as she fell into her arms. “Well, to start, humans usually wear clothes.” She whispered into the dark, helping the other woman below the ship’s quarters and into her own before helping her slide into a simple nightgown. She started to tell the former mermaid about how she would start the rest of her lessons the next day, but she quickly fell fast asleep on her shoulder.

When Ariel fluttered her eyes open the next day, she saw both Jane and the Professor, and the two gave a basic rundown of her back story; she had washed up next to their ship in the middle of the night and was pulled aboard and saved by Jane and her father, and she was joining them on venturing back to the shores of the kingdom, where she could then decide what she wanted to do; even though Ariel already had an idea of her choice.

Getting back to the shore was much too quick of a trip for Ariel, who expected it to take weeks, when it only took a handful of days, even though they were full of bonding and thinking of the best way to deal with the feelings she had for the brown-haired woman.

“Ariel? Are you paying attention?” Jane’s voice rang out in her ears and Ariel slammed the drawing pad that Jane had given to her to her chest, thinning her lips.  
  


“I was at first… I’m sorry, Jane, this is all very helpful, but it’s just a lot at once.” She tried to hide the way her breath hitched when the other woman approached and stopped behind her, leaning down so their faces were right beside each other. It was moments like these that Ariel wanted to kiss her, even though she knew for humans’ tastes it would be far too rushed. Instead, she gulped down her feelings and tightened her grip on the book.

“It’s alright, Ariel… what are you drawing, anyways? You’ve been improving a lot, you know. Your drawings of sea creatures have especially improved, I think you could be an archaeologist as well, if you w…” Jane shut her mouth as Ariel slowly dropped the sketch pad so the other woman could gaze at the sketch of the brunette in a fluffy dress. “Well, that isn’t a sea creature.” Jane snorted a little, trying her best to mask her embarrassment, although Ariel thought the attempt was futile.

Ariel kept her tone low. “I’m sorry Miss Jane, I’m just really excited for my dancing lesson today, and I was just thinking of how you would look dancing with me in a poofy dress.”

“I see. Well, when we get ashore, if you want, we could always test out how that would look.”

“I’d really love that, Jane.” Ariel whispered back, trying to stop herself from bursting into giddy giggles, even though it was tempting.

“Now, do you want to get back to our history lesson or go ahead and skip to the dancing lesson?”

Ariel twisted around in her chair and thought for a moment before sneakily setting her notebook down and grabbing the other woman’s hand. “How about we skip to the lunch lesson? I’m starving.”

Jane, of course, happily complied.

The night before they hit the shore, the two lay underneath the stars on the floor of the ship, naming constellations and giving names to random stars. When Ariel pointed at the brightest star and named it Jane, the brunette turned on her side and stared at the other for a long moment.

“What is it? Is there something on my face?” Ariel whispered and Jane snorted.

“There will be, if you hold still.” Jane answered with a tremor in her voice, leaning over and accidentally knocking the other propped-up woman onto her back with a loud thud. She hovered above her for a moment and started to lean down to kiss her when loud footsteps approached the two.

“You two are being far too loud up here,” Clayton scowled loudly at the two, “the captain is trying to sleep—say, what were you two doing, anyways?”

Jane swallowed hard and rolled off the other woman and quickly stood up. “We weren’t doing anything, I just had tripped on my dress and knocked her over, that’s all.” Ariel hopped to her feet as well, her stomach twisting at the sight of her shipmate. She didn’t understand much about Mr. Clayton, other than the fact that he spent a lot of time bossing around all the other members even-though he wasn’t the captain, or even the first-mate of the ship.

“Keep your voice down, Clayton.’ Ariel said fiercely, puffing out her chest and walking away from him with her chin up, a snickering Jane following after her as the two readied for bed.

When the ship finally met the docks in the early morning, Ariel felt her heart quivering like the leaves Jane had told her about in the autumn. “So, what have you decided to do, Ariel?”

Ariel spun around from where she stood staring out at the ocean, staring at Jane with a nervous smile. “Oh, um… I was hoping to go with you.”

Jane smiled widely at the other woman and approached her with open arms when a large splash from below was heard, and Ariel looked down as Flounder, still in his octopus form, attempted to climb the side of the boat. Jane let out a scream and Ariel squealed with joy, leaning over the side of the boat and helping haul him onto the ship before hugging him tightly.

“I thought I’d never see you again!” Flounder whined out, hugging the former mermaid tightly and spinning her around like a ballerina. Ariel pulled away from the hug and looked over at the shipmates who still stared in awe and fear.

“Everyone, this is a good friend of mine, Flounder!” She announced proudly, with Jane being the first to slowly approach her and the creature.

“He doesn’t look like much of a Flounder anymore, but… hello there. I’m Jane.”

Flounder stared at the brunette and took her hand in one of his tentacles, pulling her in for a hug as well. “You must be the one that Ariel left the ocean for! It’s so nice to meet you!”

The Professor approached Flounder as well, joining in the group hug happily. “A talking octopus? Who would have guessed that octopus could speak?”

“Oh, well I used to be a fish, but Ariel turned me into an octopus so she could get away and come here!” He looked around at the ship and at the docks in awe. “And I can see why—I’ve never seen land like this before!”

Ariel giggled and hugged her friend again. “Isn’t it all amazing?”

Slowly, Clayton stepped forward. “What is all this rubbish about coming from the ocean? Jane and the Professor said you were shipwrecked in the ocean.”

“Shipwrecked? She wasn’t shipwrecked! She was a mermaid!” Flounder cheered, and many of the shipmates gasped or laughed or rolled their eyes, while Clayton stepped forward and eyed the former mermaid carefully.

“A mermaid, eh? That explains why she didn’t know how to walk, or why she gave weird names to things…” With a smirk, Clayton pointed his musket directly at the redheaded woman. “Well, crew, I think you know what must be done. We didn’t find gorillas, but this trip can’t all be in vain. I could use a new leather jacket…”

Right away, Flounder tried to race forward and grab the weapon, but three men came up behind him and threw a large net over the octopus, rendering him helpless for the time being. In the meantime, Jane threw herself between Ariel and Clayton. “You leave her alone, Mr. Clayton. We are at the docks, our trip is over.”

“Hm, I don’t think it is, Jane. I think it’s only begun… now, one mermaid simply won’t be enough.” Clayton smirked. “You will fetch your entire family and all your friends.”

Coldly, Ariel shook her head and stepped in front of Jane, sneering in the man’s face. “I have no family under the water.”

Clayton’s face fell. “Isn’t that too bad? Well, one mermaid is better than none.”

Ariel’s eyes squeezed shut as she began to accept her fate, until Flounder yelled. “No! Please, I’ll…I’ll bring back mermaids, just don’t hurt her.”

With a prideful snort, Clayton lowered his gun. “Very well. Throw them in the brig until he retrieves our prey, boys.” One man kicked the netted octopus back into the water with a grin before joining the rest of the crew, who grabbed at Jane, the Professor and Ariel, shoving them beneath the deck and into the brig.

Upon being in the brig, Ariel burst into guilty tears, and when Jane tried to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, she flinched away. “No, no, you don’t understand! This is all my fault! There’s no doubt in my mind Flounder will bring back my sisters and my father!”

“But I thought you said you had no family, Miss Ariel.” The Professor said softly, and Ariel shook her head again.

“None that care about me anymore… I’m sure Daddy will be able to handle them, but… I’ll have to see him again, and I know he’ll make me go back home to Atlantica!”

Jane swallowed loudly and pulled at her gloves nervously. “But, I thought you wanted to come with us.”

“I do, Jane! I promise I do.” Ariel erupted, her face falling into despair again, “but Daddy will never understand that. He thinks all humans are bad, and he’ll just think he’s right when he sees Mr. Clayton… I’ll have to go back home and never leave the palace again!”

“The palace…?” The Professor said quietly, more to himself than the mermaid, astonished as she continued to ramble.

“Yes, he’ll take me home and I’ll never be allowed to go back to the surface again, I’ll never be able to see,” she paused, her breath hitching in her throat as her eyes narrowed on Jane, “I’ll never be able to see you again. Just like with the Prince… I’ll never be able to fall in love again. He just doesn’t understand! I can’t fall in love with other merpeople…I’m just different and he thinks that means I’m terrible!” Covering her face, Ariel continued to sob and allowed the two others in the brig to slowly pull her into a hug until she could breath properly again.

“Surely there’s something that can be done, Ariel. There’s always a way.” Jane whispered, and the redhead slowly nodded, her face against the other’s chest.

“Yes… yes there is something,” the former mermaid sat up entirely, still letting her arms cling to Jane for dear life, “my staff… I know that Daddy will send me back home, but no one says I have got to stay there! I can go to my hideout and grab my staff, and then I can come back! It’s got to work!” She cupped at Jane’s face and nearly kissed her, but the sound of waves above the deck sent her hands to her own face.

“Alright, your little friend brought the entire royal family!” Clayton hooted down into the brig, opening it and throwing Ariel back onto the board, letting Jane and the Professor climb back up themselves.

“Ariel!” Triton gasped immediately upon seeing his daughter but was swiftly interrupted by the men on board.

“No time for reunions, old man. It’s time you met your match!” Without any hesitation, Clayton pointed his musket at the king and shot, piercing his chest. The sisters around their father screamed as well and instantly tried to grab his trident to heal him with, but the net in the water quickly lifted the magical staff and the king up. “Now, all we need to do is collect the others.” Clayton pointed the weapon at one of the sisters, before Triton could interrupt.

“Please, listen to me.”

Clayton rolled his eyes but nodded. “What is it, old man?”

“Well, I am the King of Atlantica,” Triton heaved out through shallow breaths, “I can give you any riches that you desire, if you just allow one of my guards to bring it to you.”

“Hm, the treasure of a King? That could very well do…Alright, we agree. But you’re sending all your daughters. We want as much treasure as we can get.”

King Triton tried to argue against the idea, but Attina swam forward. “Father, please… we can handle this, I promise.”

Clayton smirked. “Good girls. And I want you to send this one, too.” The hunter grabbed at Ariel by the arm, roughly shoving her in view of her father. The redhead kept her eyes cast downwards, even though she desperately wanted to run forward and comfort her father.

“…fine.” Triton reluctantly raised his trident and sent a strike towards his daughter, forcing her fins to return to their previous state. With a rough kick, Clayton sent her into the water.

Finally, Clayton made his way to the side of the ship and stared out at the waves with the rest of his crew, distracted by the treasure he was waiting on. Taking her chance, Jane hurried over to the King of Atlantica and pulled a dagger out of her shoe, cutting part of the net.

“What are you doing?”

Jane kept her eyes on the rope as she took a wet rag that her father handed her. “I’m trying to help you, but you must keep your voice down. If Mr. Clayton hears, he may just put us back in the brig.’

Triton watched in awe as the woman reached forward and dabbed at his gunshot wound, her eyes floating to the trident. “Is there any way you can take the bullet out of yourself with that thing?”

Shaking his head, the King smiled softly. “Normally I could, but my magic is far too weak for something that big right now.” He winced in pain at the feeling of the rag. “But I will be alright. I will have one of my daughters use the trident.”

“So… you’re really Miss Ariel’s father, then?” The Professor asked this time, as he searched for something in his first aid kit.

“I am, although I find that I’ve…really ruined our relationship.”

“Surely, it can be fixed.”

The king sighed deeply, resorting back to his silent state as the two humans attempted to help clean his wounds.

Clayton hooted again, and the two humans shushed the king and hurried over to see what the commotion was. Sure enough, all but one sister reappeared in the water, dragging different gold items behind them in the water. “Drag them aboard!” After pulling them all back onto the ship, the poacher spent his attention on the gifts, not realizing who the missing daughter was.

Remembering the other’s plan, Jane kept her eyes glued to the water while the others were distracted, her heart skipping a beat when she saw a splash of red appear in the water. Rising out of the waves on top of what appeared to be a Kraken, Ariel once again reemerged onto the ship, holding a golden and rose-colored staff tightly in her hands, brandishing it towards Clayton instantly.

“Now, Mr. Clayton, you will return my family to their home, or I can and will vaporize you.” Ariel bellowed out, and the hunter laughed at the threat.

“You can’t do it, fish girl. You’re too _good,_ aren’t you? You couldn’t kill anyone.”

Ariel’s view softened for a moment before it tightened again. “You’re right, I can’t kill you… but I can banish you to the kingdom that you tried so hard to destroy!” Ariel pointed the staff once again at the poacher, reducing him to a mere guppy. The other crewmates started to drop their gold and run into the streets, with Ariel only able to destine a few of them to the same fate as their beloved leader.

Exhausted from all the magic, Ariel slid off the Kraken and onto the deck. The creature behind her reduced to his usual fish form and back into the waves below, while Ariel cautiously approached her father. With her eyes shut, she sent a strike to him that stole the bullet and disintegrated it, healing his chest.

Triton stared at his daughter in awe for a long moment, as she kept her eyes cast to the deck. “I’m sorry for disobeying you.” Shaking his head, Triton leaped forward and hugged his daughter tightly, causing her to weep tears of confused and happy joy.

“You mean you’re not mad at me?”

“Mad at you…?” Triton separated and stared down at his fugitive daughter, his mouth shaking. “Ariel, I’m not…” The king sighed. “I was mad at you. But I was wrong about humans, Ariel.” He glanced over at Jane and the Professor, who watched the scene with glee. “I was wrong about you. Can you ever forgive me?”

Bursting back into happy sobs, Ariel hugged her father as tightly as she could manage, squeezing her eyes shut and cherishing it. “Of course, I can forgive you, Daddy. As long as you let me stay.”

The two pulled apart again, and Triton held his daughter’s hands like he did when she was a toddler. “You still want to stay, after all you’ve seen that humans are capable of?”

Ariel flickered her eyes over to Jane. “How could I not?”

The king smiled gently. “I see… then I will let you stay.” He pointed his own trident at his weak daughter, watching her fins split into two, giving her a dress that glittered gold in the morning sun. “Just promise me one thing, Ariel… never forget that I love you… that your sisters love you.”

“…do you think Mother would still love me, despite all this?”

Nodding, the king kissed at the palms of his youngest’s hands. “She would love you because of it, Ariel. Now, I have one more condition.” He led her over to the side of the boat, where Flounder poked his head curiously out of the water. “I think you have a best friend that needs to be with you.” He leaned to whisper the next part. “Please take Flounder with you, he’s been driving your sisters and I crazy.”

Ariel nodded openly, pointing her own staff down at Flounder and lifting him onto the boat with it. Holding her best friend carefully, she gave him a wide smile. “Now, what do you want to be, Flounder?”

His eyes growing to the size of two full moons, Flounder squealed happily. “I don’t care, Ariel! Just let me stay with you!” Happy tears filled the fish’s eyes as Ariel pointed her staff at him, turning him into a small spaniel.

Right away he licked at her cheeks cheerfully, and Ariel set him down before embracing her father tightly one last time.

“I love you, Daddy.” Ariel whispered, and when her father whispered it back a wave of relief washed over her. “I’ll miss you all!” She waved down to her sisters as they were once again joined by their father. They waved both joyously and sadly, knowing that Ariel would never be happy in the sea.

As the family swam away, Ariel approached the Professor and Jane, her hands knit together in joy. “Now, there’s one last thing I want to wrap up…”

Jane shook her head. “What else is there?”

Ariel swallowed hard and grabbed at Jane’s hands. “I love you, Jane. I don’t know if I’m saying it too soon for humans, but—”

Jane cut her off with a leaping kiss, followed by the Professor laughing and cheering and Flounder yipping at their legs happily.

When they pulled apart and started to finally get off the ship, Ariel stared around at the large kingdom, full of new opportunities and life. “Now, what do we do first?”

Jane smirked. “Let’s start with going and finding those poofy dresses for us to dance in like you wanted.”


End file.
